The OFS Rule

The Final Test of Servant Leadership in the Secular Franciscan Order is Love

Love is the answer to almost all of our problems and failures as Servant Leaders; not our own limited, imperfect human love, but God’s love for us, which never stops and is always there. If we are open to the Lord’s love, that love will flow from the Lord through us to our sisters and brothers before returning to the Lord.

2022-05-17T13:06:52-04:00August 19th, 2020|Categories: Formation, New Resource, The OFS Rule|0 Comments

“On the Care and Feeding of Our Fraternities”   

In the Gospel of John ... ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ (John 21:15-17) ... And, what is the Lord trying to teach Peter, the first “minister” of the first “fraternity” of the first “observers” of “the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”? (Secular Franciscan Order Rule 4, http://www.nafra-sfo.org/sforule.html). ... Thus, love is the third great lesson of this Gospel story; love is the answer to the Lord’s expectations of us in lesson one and how we should respond to the Lord’s love in lesson two. Lesson four is how we should manifest our love. “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-16).

2024-08-16T11:22:48-04:00August 5th, 2020|Categories: Formation, New Resource, The OFS Rule|0 Comments

We need to Be More Welcoming to Build Our Church & Our Fraternities!

He (Jesus) makes them (his disciples) see that the Christian journey is about changing hearts.  It is about learning to live differently, under a different law, with different rules.  It is about turning from the path of selfishness, conflict, division and superiority, and taking instead the path of life, generosity and love.  It is about passing from a mentality which domineers, stifles and manipulates to a mentality which welcomes, accepts and cares.

2022-05-18T16:13:35-04:00June 3rd, 2020|Categories: Formation, New Resource, The OFS Rule|0 Comments

The Franciscan Command to Smile!

“And all the friars, no matter where they are or in whatever situation they find themselves, should like spiritually minded men, diligently show reverence and honor to one another without murmuring (1 Peter 4:9). They should let it be seen that they are happy in God, cheerful and courteous, as is expected of them, and be careful not to appear gloomy or depressed like hypocrites.”

2023-01-30T15:57:15-05:00May 20th, 2020|Categories: Formation, New Resource, The OFS Rule|0 Comments
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